London is a world leader in the arts – and it’s no different for tattooing. As the practice has exploded over the last 20 years, so has the choice and variety of studios. Emerging from back alleys and blacked-out windows, tattoo studios have evolved into creative hubs and places of inspiration for artists and clients alike.

Shoreditch has one of the highest densities of tattoo studios in any area of London, ranging from legends and old-timers through to faddy new shops that come and go with the tides. Among this competition, Vagabond Tattoo has quietly established itself as a bastion of the high-quality custom tattoo. It opened its doors in 2012 at the Cambridge Heath end of Hackney Road, and with its large glass shopfront showing off an inviting, clean and light-filled space, it promises to be a mainstay for years to come.

2. FEMME FATALE

As the UK’s most recognised tattoo artist, with 641k Instagram followers and counting, Grace Neutral needs no introduction. Her appearance alone makes her unforgettable: pointed elf ears, facial scarification, a body suit of tattoos and purple eyeballs, she has been dubbed the Alien Princess. Building on her fame, off the back of presenting the series Beyond Beauty for i-D Magazine and Needles and Pins for Viceland, Grace set up Femme Fatale in Hackney. There she has surrounded herself with a team of equally fierce and ambitious female artists, redefining what it means to be female and tattooed.

Opened in 2018 by three of the most accomplished tattooists in London – Claudia De Sabe, Teide and Yutaro, aka Warriorism, all renowned for their large-scale, vibrant and dynamic work. The three previously enjoyed formative years at Seven Doors Tattoo, off Brick Lane, before taking the leap and setting up shop together. Moving from the bustle of Shoreditch to the relatively tranquil backstreets of Angel Islington, their 50 years of combined experience has shaped the studio, providing a creative sanctuary where they hone their craft and host a string of world-class guest artists.

4. PARLIAMENT TATTOO

The humble beginnings of Parliament Tattoo belie the world class studio it has become today. When Scott Move and his wife Nicola Mary Wyatt originally took over the factory building on a small industrial estate in Stroud Green, they used it as their private studio where Scott tattooed his clients and Nicola ran her business in blissful seclusion. Over time, the potential of the space and a vision to build a creative, egalitarian environment where artists could thrive, took shape and other like-minded tattooists were invited to join the fold. This organic journey has led to one of the deepest rosters of tattoo talent in the city, cementing a global reputation.

The stereotype of the macho tattoo shop exists for a reason – throughout the 20th century it was an art that was largely male dominated. One of the great paradigm shifts in this century has been the opening of doors for female tattoo artists. Roxy Velvet is a beaming example of this. Her all-female staffed studio is the antithesis of the old-school parlour. A modern, fully-equipped studio space, with a proud top-level hygiene rating, she has created an environment where her staff create genre-defying designs and her clients – women and men – feel utterly welcome and comfortable.

6. SACRED GOLD

Piercing typically only represents a smaller element of a tattoo studio’s operations. Sacred Gold is redressing this balance with a hybridised offering inside its stylish Kings Cross studio. Founder Joao Bosco has recruited a highly credible team of resident tattoo artists, while his partner Guy Sa’ar, the co-owner of Love Hate Social Club in Notting Hill, has brought a strong piercing pedigree to the table. As a former piercer himself, and building on the hugely successful trade he has established in his West London shop, Sa’ar has built Sacred Gold into London’s pinnacle piercing experience.

A small but perfectly-formed tattoo oasis nestled away in East Dulwich, this is the brainchild of Nick Horn and his partner Clare. Tattooist Nick has been an artist since he was 18 and, following seven influential years working at Good Times in Shoreditch, opened his own studio in 2017. He was joined in this new venture by Clare (who doesn’t have any tattoos) she provided a fresh perspective and helped shape the concept for a welcoming, peaceful space. The fruit of this collaboration – a cosy cabin, flooded with light and fronted by a plant-filled patio that will relax even the most nervous of clients.

8. GOOD TIMES

The clue is in the name. Good times are at the heart of this experience and the title perfectly embodies the spirit of its owner, Nikole Lowe. A fun-loving disco queen from New Zealand, Lowe has created an environment that is as welcoming as it is wild. Conceived to feel like a hidden members’ club or secret speakeasy, the studio can only be accessed through an inconspicuous black door on the Curtain Road. Once inside, you’ll discover an open-plan, loft-style apartment filled with curiosities, a warm, friendly team and, of course, the Good Times bar, where the good times never stop.

Tattoo chains are a rarity, not least because it’s hard for an owner to replicate his magic sauce in multiple shops. No Regrets is an exception. Originating in Cheltenham, it has branched out to Bristol, Exeter and London, and now represents over 35 resident artists across the four locations. The No Regrets aesthetic is sleek and contemporary and the London studio, a warehouse in Cambridge Heath, expands on that concept with the addition of a gallery where it hosts tattoo-inspired exhibitions, events and collaborations.

Set across two floors of open-plan industrial space in the heartlands of Dalston, this is the nerve centre of the global Sang Bleu brand, which counts publishing house, design agency, fashion label and three tattoo shops among its operations. The mastermind at the heart of everything is the creative director and head tattooist Maxime Plescia-Buchi, who has quite the list of celebrity clientele, most famously Kanye West, and has collaborated with the likes of Alexander McQueen, Sweaty Betty and Nike; he also holds an ambassador role at Hublot, for whom he has designed a series of luxury watches. Next stop: total world domination.